Pete Buttigieg, a prominent Democrat and a member of the LGBTQ+ community, has responded to the anti-LGBTQ+ views expressed by conservative House Speaker Mike Johnson. Buttigieg, who serves as the US Transportation Secretary, suggested that he might invite Speaker Johnson to his home to witness the reality of a happy same-sex couple.
During an appearance on The Late Show with Stephen Colbert, Buttigieg mentioned, “I’ll work with anybody who can help us get good transportation available to the American people, but I don’t know, maybe we’ll just have him over, ’cause our little house isn’t that far from the Capitol.”
Buttigieg’s remarks come in light of the years of anti-LGBTQ+ rhetoric that Johnson has espoused during his tenure in government. This includes calls to outlaw gay sex and suggestions that homosexuality contributed to the fall of the Roman Empire. Johnson has recently claimed on Fox News that he “loves all people” and doesn’t recall some of his past statements about LGBTQ+ individuals.
In the mid-2000s, Johnson wrote editorials describing homosexuality as “inherently unnatural” and a “dangerous lifestyle.” He even made claims that it could lead to legalized pedophilia and the destruction of “the entire democratic system.” Johnson stated, “Experts project that homosexual marriage is the dark harbinger of chaos and sexual anarchy that could doom even the strongest republic.”
While @secretarypete’s household is beautifully chaotic with raising twin toddlers, it’s not the kind of chaos that Speaker of the House Mike Johnson warns of.#Colbert pic.twitter.com/WY4AdS4WJ6
— The Late Show (@colbertlateshow) November 3, 2023
Buttigieg, who publicly came out as gay in 2015, has invited Johnson to witness a typical day in his home, which includes everyday family activities like daycare pick-ups and preparing dinner for his young twins. He emphasized that there is nothing “dark” about LGBTQ+ family life.
When asked about Johnson’s controversial comments by CNN News Central, Buttigieg expressed how it’s challenging to pass the US Capitol Building, knowing that the Speaker of the House sitting under that dome doesn’t believe his family should exist.
Recently, House Republicans, led by Marjorie Taylor Greene, attempted to reduce Buttigieg’s salary as Transportation Secretary to $1 as part of an amendment to a spending bill. However, this amendment was adopted by a voice vote and is unlikely to be approved by the full House or Senate, as reported by The Hill.
